A Left Turn Somewhere Around Albuquerque
A Word: Hm, pizza.
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There's a mess of a fight that goes down not even a block away from Jason's apartment. So he's a little later and more banged up than he planned on being when he makes his way into the part of the city usually patrolled by Robin. Jason's still a little freaked out by the fact that Robin is competent enough to have such a large area to himself, and that he's apparently not shadowed at all times by Batman.
Jason was never really allowed that freedom when he was Robin. Hell, he's pretty sure Dick wasn't allowed that freedom until he became Nightwing and forced the issue.
It's harder than it should be to track Robin down. Tim's cape is black, covering all the flash of the uniform and he uses it to good use. Jason has to follow the pattern of police calls to find him, and even with that he almost misses seeing him. It's not until a shadow Jason almost passed unfurls that Jason sees him.
Robin drops down from the night to land on the shoulders of a big man mugging a tiny old lady. The crack of a collarbone snapping is nearly deafening. Coming in loud and clear over the man's scream. Robin lands like a cat and spins into a vicious looking back roundhouse that launches the second man into the brick wall of the alley. The last man is smart enough to not even try and breaks into a dead sprint away. Robin extends a bo with a practiced snap of his wrist and throws it like a fucking spear right between his legs. Tripping him up and sending him sprawling long enough to get a knee in his back and a zip tie around his hands.
Jason's a little bit in love.
It's a beautiful take down and Jason grins as Robin ties the other scumbags up and walks the old lady to the street. He's sorely tempted to hang back and just watch Tim for a little while longer. See him get his knuckles a little bloody, but it's shot down for something much better. Taking Robin into the really bad areas of Crime Alley and fighting next to him.
"Nice kick," Jason says when Robin pops back up to the roofs. He pauses and that little shift is the only indication Jason gets that he didn't know he had an audience. His grin turns to a smile, and he'd left the full faced mask behind so it can be seen, that puts a little pink in Tim's cheeks. "I think he swallowed some molars."
"No," Robin shakes his head and a tiny smile touches his lips as he tilts his head back down to the alley. "That isn't the first time he's tried attacking me from behind. He doesn't have any molars left."
"Jesus," that smile is not fair. It's positively lethal, especially when combined with everything that is Tim. Jason really, really wants to kiss that smile. Just wrap him up and hold him close so he could taste and feel it. "Keep that up and I'll forget all about dinner."
"What? Kicking muggers too stupid to exist? Think that's out of my power, Red Hood," that little smile turns into a full blown smirk. And every thought Jason'd been entertaining turns x-rated in a matter of seconds. "And we're not skipping dinner. I'm hungry."
The last statement is made with enough force for Jason to know that Robin is dead serious about wanting food. Food is a serious enough business in the vigilante crowd that Jason takes him at his word and adds in a few unspoken threats as well. He still remembers how hungry he used to get during patrols. Hell, he still works up a pretty good appetite even now, and he's not doing half as many acrobatic stunts anymore.
"I wouldn't dream of depriving you," Jason says as he steps back. Feeling his heels hit open air as he balances on the edge of the roof. "You done here?" Robin nods and seems to shrink into the cape, going still in a way that Jason recognizes as him preparing to really move. Pity he's got to take lead for this, and can't hang back to watch. "Follow me," Jason jumps, and trusts Robin's following him.
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Tim doesn't balk when Jason directs them towards a diner. Not that he expected him to, you can't be picky in their line of work, but Jason still takes it as a good sign. It's not in the worst part of the city, but the area is bad enough that no one so much as gives them a second look when they walk in. The fact that Red Hood is a regular customer is only half the reason why they only get one disinterested look from the woman reading behind the counter.
Tim fits in the worn and cracked vinyl seating. Mask and armor and all. Jason's reminded yet again how hot he is now that they're in brighter lighting. Even the yellowing and flickering lights of the diner make all the difference in the world.
"You're staring," Tim says after Dora —Jason's sure that's not her name because everyone he's seen working the counter wear the same cracked name tag no matter their gender— plops two stained but clean mugs filled with steaming coffee in front of them. Jason ignores his out of habit. The coffee is a burnt liquid with a nasty aftertaste that he only drinks as a last resort.
"Can you blame me?" Jason watches as Tim tries to hide a blush behind taking a drink. He doesn't react to the taste at all, and it kinda figures that he'd be a coffee drinker. "You're worth staring at. Especially when you turn that red."
"You know, if you keep that up I'll eventually get used to it," Tim says, and he's still using the mug to hide behind. It's strangely endearing.
"I think I can live with that as long as it means I get to keep telling you how hot you are," Jason says with the grin he saves for charming jaded older women. Charming and sweet, but not bothering to hide the wicked intent behind it at all. He can see Tim's lips curving up behind the mug. He's charmed, obviously, despite knowing he shouldn't be.
They're interrupted by Dora returning with Jason's usual order and a basket of bread that he didn't even know the diner served. The pizza is steaming and clatters on the table between them, and two cups of soda are placed at his elbow. Dora deftly moves Jason's mug to Tim's side with an almost silent tsk. She leaves them with an approving nod at Tim when he picks up the full mug.
Jason waits to grab a slice. Letting Tim eye the pie dubiously before pulling one slice onto a brown plate. The diner isn't much to look at but Jason swears they've got a magic stove in the back because everything that comes out of the kitchen is pure gold, and nothing is better than their pizzas.
Tim's face shifts at the first bite. Minute changes that erases all the doubt he'd had before and Jason grins as he snags his own slice, "I know, right? Surprised the hell outta me too when I first tried it."
Tim inhales the rest of his slice before getting another and answering him. "It's not something I'm using to seeing in a diner."
"Yep," Jason agrees through a mouth full of cheese and meat. It's a strange addition to the meatloaf and casserole dishes, but one that Jason had been willing to try, and he hasn't once regretted that decision. "But it's always the strange stuff that works out best, right?"
Tim chokes a little on his crust and flushes again. He coughs his throat clear and laughs as Jason takes the chance to steal a second slice before Tim can get a third one. "Yeah, I guess so. Strange does explain a lot about my life," Tim reaches out and snags a blob of cheese from the pan. "After all, I am on a date with a dead man."
And that's a question. Jason's not too surprised. He doesn't think Bruce has changed much since, well, yeah. He knows the man likes to play all his cards close to his chest. Keeping things away from people he really should be trusting. Different Robin, same old shitty issues.
Jason pushes those thoughts away, because they're starting to stir up that familiar anger and that has no place being here right now. Not with Tim giving him a more and more uncertain smile the longer Jason remains silent.
"Formerly," Jason points out and eyes the last two tiny slices left. Maybe he should've asked for another when Dora brought the first one out. Jason's usually able to finish the whole thing himself, and it's obvious Tim has an appetite himself. "And I don't die and tell until at least the second date."
"Well," Tim lets it slide. Maybe sensing the dark turn in Jason's thoughts. He reaches out for the last slices and takes the one on the left. Leaving the last for him and turning to look at the bread basket. Plain, sliced bread. Not even a packet of butter or jelly to go with it. Obviously prebought and thus exempt from the magic stove's influence. "Guess I'll have at least one thing to look forward to."
Tim is a little bit catty when he's not busy being flustered to the point of near wordless silence. Jason likes that, but he's still fond of the flustered Robin so he smiles. More of a leer really. "Oh, pretty bird," Jason purrs, letting his voice drop. "You'll have more than one thing by the time I'm through with you tonight."
Tim makes an interesting noise and turns the reddest he has all night. He shifts before freezing and then gives the three bites of pizza he has left far more attention than it deserves while Jason tries not to laugh.
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They run into a drug deal an almost literal two steps outside of the diner. It's two steps for Jason anyway. For Robin it's one step and skipping hop that ends with the dimmest looking dealer spitting teeth onto the pavement.
Jason laughs and swings around him. Lashing out at the next bright fucker who has decided to bring a knife out. The skinny man crumples into a ball of bony, twitching limbs while the five other men shift around them. Fanning out and bleating like the scared little sheep they are. Some of them are reaching for not so hidden weapons, and the two furthest away are backing up. Eyes darting down the street.
"Is this the after dinner entertainment?" Robin quips as his bo snaps open with a faint whistle.
"Nah, this is just a warm up," Jason debates drawing a gun, but that's a sore spot with the rest of them. And the night is going too good to open up that can of worms. Besides, these guys don't look like they're packing anything more dangerous than knives. A dumb move, but he's not going to question his luck. "Main event's going down at the docks in about an hour."
"Good to know," Robin's lips curl up into a sharp smirk that Jason had seen only in pictures. It's a Robin smile. One that promises a lot of pain. "I'll keep this brief then."
The smart ones make a break for it, and Jason lets them go. Launching himself at two of the quicker men. The ones who already have their knives out, but aren't coordinated enough to keep from tripping over each other. There's a thud behind him and Jason spins a kick into one man's face. Taking a brief second to take in Robin snapping one last hit to the dealer who won't be getting up any time soon.
"Fucker!" The one man not coughing up blood spits out as he charges. Jason dodges a sloppy punch and jabs at the hand holding something that looks more like a steak knife. He follows it up with a punch as the air ripples beside him. Robin streaks by at a dead run, hands at his belt as he takes off after the runners. Jason punches his opponent again. Taking a second to make sure no one's moving before taking of after Robin.
He's halfway down the block and chasing the flapping black/gold/black blur of Robin's cape when he swerves. The cape flaring out and up enough for Jason to see two bodies on the ground tangled up in a black mess of rope and swearing loudly as they struggle.
"Bolas?" Jason says as he slows to a stop.
"Entangler pellets," Robin shrugs and he holds up something that's a good deal larger than a pellet, but Jason'll let the name pass because it's a great deal smaller than the mess of weights that only seem to be getting tighter as one of the men panics. "I'm still in testing phase with them, but they're pretty effective so far."
Testing phase, and there's a proud little smirk edging his mouth up too. Jason'll eat his two best guns if Tim didn't design the things himself. Jason badly wants to see what other toys he has hidden in that belt of his. "Well, let's tie them all up and do some more testing down at the docks."
Jason obligingly drags the only two conscious men back to the rest of their buddies, and unashamedly watches as Tim bends down to zip tie the unconscious ones. One of the men coughs out something unflattering about his sexuality, but Tim doesn't seem to catch any of it after Jason introduces the bottom of his boot to the man's throat.
"So," Tim turns to Jason after they've called it in and are a few blocks away. He's still grinning a little. "The docks? What have you got in store there?"
"It's a surprise," one involving a shipment of a lot of cocaine coming in on a heavily armed ship. With an equally armed guard all along the dock keeping anyone innocent and not involved out so the chances of collateral damages are near to zero. The very best kind of take down operation Jason knows of. "You'll see when we get there," Jason sweeps an arm out towards the bay and bows a little at the waist. "After you, pretty bird."
Tim shakes his head, cheeks pinking up just slightly, but takes the lead. Jumping off the roof and shooting a line out in one fluid move that Jason admires before following suit. Making sure to stay just far enough behind to get a damn nice view the whole way.
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